For general information about the Roanoke Valley Chapter or questions about the upcoming session, please contact the Chapter Advisor:

Denny McCarthy
Virginia Department of Forestry
P.O. Box 100
Salem, VA 24153
Phone: 540.387.5461
Fax: 540.387.5445

Basic Training Course, February-May 2010

To Apply

Please send a completed application form to the address above, along with a check for the $100 course fee, payable to the Roanoke Valley Master Naturalists. Applications are due January 15.

Virginia Master Naturalist Roanoke Valley Chapter Application, Information, and Enrollment Form (MS Word format)

About the Program

The Virginia Master Naturalist program is a statewide volunteer training program positively impacting natural resource education and conservation across Virginia. We are a corps of well-informed volunteers providing education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

At the state level, the Virginia Master Naturalist program is sponsored jointly by Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Virginia Museum of Natural History. 

The program consists of a network of Virginia Master Naturalist chapters across the state. Each chapter is responsible for recruiting and training volunteers and for working with partners to create and coordinate volunteer service opportunities. The training consists of a minimum of 40 hours classroom and field time covering a core set of curriculum objectives. The objectives focus on ecology, natural resource management, basic natural history of the animals and plants of Virginia, and skills for teaching and field research. To become a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, each volunteer must also complete 40 hours of service. This service can be in the form of education (such as leading an interpretive program in a state park), citizen science (such as collecting data on wildlife populations), or stewardship (such as restoring a natural area).

This program benefits Virginia’s citizenry, its public lands, and its natural resources. The development of a dedicated volunteer corps expands the capacity of Virginia’s natural resource agencies. The cooperative nature of the program provides a mechanism for state, local, non-profit, and other partners to work together towards the common goals of conservation and education. The volunteer service provides a purposeful way for citizens to spend time outdoors and on Virginia’s public lands.

2010 Course Outline

The course will meet Tuesday evenings from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Girl Scout Office on Peters Creek Road. There will also be several Saturday field trips.

Feb. 9       
Beth Hawse                                                Welcome
Denise Hayes 6:15 – 6:45      Introduction to the Virginia Master Naturalist Program
Beth Hawse 6:45 – 7:30      American Naturalists
Katherine O’Neill 7:45 – 9:15      Ecological Concepts (and Nature of Naming)

Feb. 16                                                     
Phil Hysell                      6:15 – 7:00     Weather and Climate
Katherine O’Neill             7:15 – 9:15      Virginia Biogeography & Geology and Soil Sciences                          

Feb. 23                 
Deirdre Marriner Roden 6:15 – 9:15      Aquatic Ecology and Management

Mar. 2                   
Morgan Wilson              6:15 – 9:15      Ornithology

Mar. 6                                Field Trip                   
Dennis Casey               9:00 – 3:00      Virginia Museum of Natural History

Mar. 16                 
Bryan Wender              6:15 – 7:30      Botany
Fred Huber
John Seiler                  7:45 – 9:15      Dendrology

Mar. 23                 
Steve Powers               6:15 – 7:45     Ichthyology                
Deirdre Marriner Roden 8:00 – 9:15     Entomology

Mar. 27                           Field Trip                   
Lee Hipp                     9:00 – 12:00     Virginia Western Arboretum
Tim Pohlad-Thomas     1:00 – 4:00       Mill Mountain Discovery Center

Apr. 6                   
Nancy Moncrief               6:15 – 9:15      Mammology

Apr. 10                              Field Trip                   
Bryan Wender               12:30 – 5:30     Happy Hollow
Fred Huber                                                     Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve
Star City Astronomy Club    7:00 – 9:00      Icimani Adventure Center
Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society

Apr. 20     
David Garst                6:15 – 9:15      Herpetology

Apr. 27                             
Denny McCarthy            6:15 – 7:30      Forest Ecology and Management
Katherine O’Neill           7:45 – 9:15      Urban and Suburban Systems

May 4                   
Beth Hawse                6:15 – 7:45      Interpretation and Teaching Skills
Andrea Krochalis         8:00 – 9:15      Citizen Science and Research

May 8                           Field Trip     
Tim Quinn                         8:30 – 11:30     Woodpecker Ridge
Alice Quinn
Deirdre Marriner Roden  1:00 – 4:00       Icimani Adventure Center

May 18                 
Rupert Cutler                6:15 – 7:45      Land Use in Virginia
Leslie Prillaman              8:00 – 9:00      Risk Management and Working with Youth
Beth Hawse                    9:00 – 9:15      Distribution of Written Test and Instructions*

May 25                             
Beth Hawse                                 6:00 – 9:30      Return Test, Take Practical (Set Time Limit)
*Written test will be take-home and open book.